Today October 25th marks the 20th Dokdo Day, commemorating South Korea's easternmost islets that have special historical significance to the country and the Korean people.<br />In celebration of the day, we look at the efforts that have been made to protect the islands.<br />Lee Kyung-eun reports.<br /><br />On this day in 1900, Korea first declared Dokdo as its territory.<br />King Gojong of the Korean Empire made a statement against Japan, which was attempting to dispossess the Korean Peninsula of its properties ahead of its invasion.<br />"When it comes to claiming sovereignty of Dokdo, Korea made such a statement before Japan."<br />One hundred years later, a private organization A Party for Tokdo Protection designated October 25th as Dokdo Day,... with this year marking the 20th such day.<br />Despite the historical evidence, Tokyo, until this day, claims its ownership over the islands, calling them Takeshima.<br />So Seoul continues its fight, backed by the people's collective efforts.<br />"Government efforts are important, but efforts at the civilian level are changing a lot."<br />Many South Koreans have voluntarily participated in campaigns protecting Dokdo, and one of their major agendas was letting the world know that Dokdo belongs to Korea.<br />They pressured global firms like Apple and Google to rename the disputed islands to Dokdo,… while sharing related contents on social media like Youtube and Instagram to raise global awareness.<br />Even young students have played their part.<br />Some middle and high school students from Cheongsim International Academy have created a statue of the symbol of Dokdo, Gangchi, which is a species of sea lion currently at risk of extinction. They donated the statue to a museum on Japanese colonial history.<br />They also visit the islands each year, wrote a book on Gangchi and raise funds by selling related goods to continue their activities.<br />All these efforts play a crucial role in protecting Dokdo, and will continue in the future.<br />Lee Kyung-eun, Arirang News.<br />
